Powder Springs Mayor Pat Vaughtn, left, meets with Cobb County Chairman Tim Lee on Saturday morning at Wild Horse Creek Park. The park, which is in Powder Springs but managed by the county, is slated for several improvements this year including a new swimming pool in the area behind the pair. The old clubhouse to the left will be razed in favor of a new facility. Some of the park’s baseball fields will be improved and a BMX track will be added. Staff/Jeff Stanton

Renovations on the horizon for a pair of Powder Springs parks aim to improve the experience for residents and take care of an ongoing issue with flooding. Wild Horse Creek Park will be opening a new pool in the summer of 2015, coinciding with the closing of the pool at neighboring Powder Springs Park.

The pool projects were approved by the Cobb County Board of Commissioners during their Tuesday meeting at a cost of $3.08 million. Together with ball field and building renovations at the parks, the total project is expected to cost $4.6 million, according to Eddie Canon, Cobb parks and recreation director.

“Along with the recreation and community center, this will become a very family-oriented park and something for everyone in the Powder Springs area,” said Canon.

Powder Springs Park

The more than 50-year-old pool at Powder Springs Park, 3899 Brownsville Road, floods from time to time causing headaches for the parks department. It will be filled in to alleviate the problem. The new pool will sit at a higher elevation and is what Canon described as a “zero-entry” pool, meaning there will be a slope rather than stairs leading in.

“You can come off the deck and walk straight into the pool,” he said. “It’s more of a play structure with water included. It will be a family-oriented play type of pool, it will not be a competitive pool.”

The pool will have splash pad features, which Canon likened to the fountains at Centennial Olympic Park, aimed at younger kids, plus a lazy river and two water slides. Deeper water will also be included for swimming lessons. Construction should begin in late April and organizers hope to finish in April 2015.

The old pool will not be filled in until the new one opens, Canon said, and will be used for added ball field space. A building at Wild Horse Creek will also be torn down and replaced. Waterworks Atlanta was awarded the pool contract, beating out two other bidders.

Local sales tax dollars will be used to fund the project. The contract also includes improvements to a nearby lake and dam at the park.

Powder Springs Mayor Pat Vaughn is excited about the project and says it can help the entire city.

“This will be major for us,” Vaughn said. “Not long ago there were some renovations to the concessions stands. That’s a heavily-used area, the park is used all the time.”

Cobb County manages all of the parks in Powder Springs under a long-term agreement between the two governments.

Wild Horse Creek Park

Wild Horse Creek Park, 3820 Macedonia Drive, was a crime scene only a few weeks ago.

Police arrested 14-year-old Jaydon Lee Reid and charged him March 17 in the shooting deaths of Terrance Banks, 23, and Sterling Hargrave, 21, in a suspected double-homicide at the park.

According to the arrest warrant, Reid robbed Hargrave and Banks of cash and marijuana using a 9 mm pistol during a “drug transaction” the evening of March 16.

Despite that event, Canon said the park gets a lot of use by kids in the area.

“Wild Horse Creek Park is located in a very residential area, and (Tapp) Middle School is right beside it,” Canon said. “We have walk-up traffic from the residential area. Young kids in this area will use this during the summer. We have a huge day camp program at our recreation center that will also see use during the summer. This also will bring in anyone that has a camp in this area, it will bring an increase in revenue there for our whole department.”

Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee also feels the renovation will be good for the community.

“I think it’s going to instantly raise the quality of life for all of this community by making improvements here, offering a better pool with new facilities to support it,” he said. “It’s going to be a huge improvement for this park and for the quality of life in Powder Springs and Cobb County.”

Our mayor could care less about Powder Springs. Her and her posse have ruined the whole town. We need a new hometown mayor and police chief who care about our community and not themselves. I am happy to drive the two current one back from where they came!

Silly rabbit, Don't you know anything? A new pool and concession stands will solve the crime problem in Powder Springs... If you don't believe me just ask our wonderful mayor.

Sarcasm aside, Our mayor and city council members believe pet projects are the solution for the crime problem in our area. With the money they have spent in the last ten years we could have doubled our police force.

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